Coming full circle: Trish Donnelly's journey to becoming Wayne State’s first online M.S. graduate in injury biomechanics

Trish Donnelly's educational and career journey has been a series of twists and turns, guided by a passion for biomedical engineering (BME) and a deep connection to the state of Michigan.

She initially discovered Wayne State University through the influence of her sister and a neighbor — both of whom have strong ties to the university — and explored the vast field of BME during her undergraduate studies, earning a bachelor’s in 2019. After gaining invaluable experience in Ohio working in the intelligence and national security domains, she ultimately found her way back to Wayne State, becoming the first graduate of its online master's program in BME, with a concentration in injury biomechanics.

Now, she is poised to apply her expertise in accident reconstruction, bringing her full circle back to her roots.

Donnelly was drawn to BME because of her interests in engineering and medicine. She became aware of Wayne State through her sister, who attended the university and pursued a career path in law. A neighbor and then-WSU professor, Michelle Grimm, introduced her to the university’s BME program.

“The program was great. We got to dabble in all different types of engineering,” said Donnelly. “In our first year, we went to a conference that showed different job areas that we could go into with this degree. A few that really stood out to me at the time were being an expert witness or doing accident reconstruction work.”

She had a two-year internship — and briefly considered changing her major to criminal justice — with the FBI office in Detroit, where she assisted law enforcement teams with evidence collection. She then became interested in biometrics, which led her to focus more on sensors and bioinstrumentation.

This led to a five-year period following graduation where Donnelly was a research engineer with Altamira, a technology company that works closely with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Donnelly wanted to pursue her master’s, but she struggled to find a nearby program that suited her interests. A friend that had been in Wayne State’s injury biomechanics program during the pandemic primarily took classes virtually. This prompted Donnelly to reach out to Cynthia Bir, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The timing was ideal, as the process of taking the program online was already underway.

“Developing an online program in the area of injury biomechanics really made sense given our worldwide reputation in the field,” said Bir.

Not only would Donnelly join the first class, but she would work closely with Bir to refine the program.

“It was rewarding to help improve it for the people that come after me because I think it’s incredibly valuable that this program is online,” said Donnelly.

Donnelly highlighted the accident reconstruction course as particularly impactful.

"We were given scene photographs and information from crashes that had actually occurred, and then we had to go and figure out what had happened," she said.

The course was taught by industry specialist Jack Ridenour — who had nearly four decades of experience with Ford Motor Company — and provided real-world applications of theoretical knowledge, which Donnelly found invaluable as she transitioned into the next phase of her career.

Despite the online nature of the program, Donnelly felt it provided a robust education that didn't lack the depth of in-person experiences. The diverse backgrounds of her peers, ranging from recent graduates to seasoned industry professionals, enriched the learning experience. She was one of several students handling a full-time job while studying, and found the program's structure accommodating.

"I found it really manageable, and I think other people did as well," she said.

With her graduate studies complete, Donnelly recently returned to Michigan to start her new job at Explico, an accident reconstruction firm in Novi.

“Trish really is a success story for Wayne State,” said Bir. “We not only were able to provide her with a strong educational opportunity remotely, but she was also able to move back to her home state because of that degree.”

Donnelly is grateful for the opportunities and support she received at Wayne State, both as an undergraduate and a master's student. She hopes to remain involved with the program and contribute to its growth.

"One of my favorite parts about this master's program, but also in my undergrad, was my ability to work with professors and sort of liaise with them and get mentorship from them,” said Donnelly. “I'm really excited for what my degrees from Wayne State, especially this one, have afforded me in the past and moving forward.”